Coconut milk is low-fat. This is why many people prefer to use coconut milk over dairy one.
As the world is moving towards veganism gradually, this plant-based milk has become an ultimate replacement for dairy milk. It is not limited to that only, many dishes turn into a delightful serving with its use.
And yeah there is no need to buy canned coconut milk, with 2 major ingredients you can make it at home. So, read below and learn how to make coconut milk.
Let’s take a look at the ingredients and their right measurements for coconut milk:
Shredded Coconut
You will need around 2 cups of shredded unsweetened coconut. Here, freshness matters a lot. So, pick a coconut that weighs heavy and you could hear a sloshing sound inside of it when it shook. Older ones are not that creamy so always use mature coconut.
Water
Water helps to turn the shredded coconut into a liquid form. See the amount of water depends on how thick the milk you want it to be. If the plan is to make it thicker, then opt for 2 cups of water. As for a moderate consistency, use 3-4 cups of water.
Vanilla Extract (Optional)
Vanilla extract will bring a nice flavor to the milk. So it can be used for around ½ teaspoon.
Sweetener (Optional)
As for sweet taste, maple syrup or honey are good options. Allocate around 1 tablespoon of honey or maple syrup. Skip this if drinking plain coconut milk is what you planned for.
Tools Needed
Blender
Saucepan to Boil Water
Cheesecloth
Grater
Cutting Board
A bowl
Measuring Spoons and Cups
How To Make Coconut Milk
The easy and quick coconut milk recipe is here. With 2 major ingredients, the creamy milk becomes ready for the serving. So, let’s make coconut milk with easy steps:
1. Shred the Fresh Coconut
Fresh coconut has a hard outer shell. Look for a hammer or something that easily breaks the tough shell.
Give a quick and forceful hit to the coconut using a hammer. It will most probably split the coconut in half. If not then surely there will be some breaks and targeting those breaks hit again. Boom, it is well split now.
Search for the grater in the kitchen and shred coconut with it. Do this work on the cutting board for ease. Assemble the grated coconut in a bowl.
Then move to boil the water in a pot or saucepan. It is totally up to you to choose a dish to boil the water. See, some of us might slightly boil the water and proceed to blend. But that is not the correct way. So, have 2-3 minutes of patience and boil water properly.
3. Blend the Water and Shredded Coconut in a Blender
Cleaning the blender before use is a must. In case of any smell, the milk may turn out to be weird. When it is cleaned nicely, add ingredients (hot Water and grated coconut) one by one.
Run the blender until both ingredients mix well. Pay attention to the amount of water. Sometimes water may not be enough to create a thick and consistent milk. So, proceed to add a little bit of hot water if needed.
When 2-3 minutes pass, stop the blender stir the mixture, and then continue to blend for an extra minute. This ensures an even combining of ingredients.
Extracting milk demands the use of cheesecloth. This cloth has very tiny holes that only allow the liquid milk to pass through. As a result, there will be no trace of shredded coconut.
So, bring a large bowl and place a clean cheesecloth over it. Now pour the mixture into that cloth. Here comes a slight effortful task and that is to squeeze out the milk. Grab all the edges of the cloth and twist the mixture in it.
As the twisting goes on, milk starts to pour down in a bowl. Continue to do this until the milk stops coming out.
A single phase of straining is enough but if the cloth you used is not giving a clean milk. Then there is a need to repeat the straining thing until it is done.
It is time to make the milk more tasty. So, proceed to add maple syrup or honey whichever is in stock. Include a bit of vanilla extract then stir the milk gently. This allows the ingredients to blend well. Test the milk and adjust the sweetener or flavoring as needed.
Some of us might like to turn into a chocolate-flavored one. For that add cocoa powder. Or customize the milk according to the preferences.
Oh, not to mention but there are several ways to use homemade coconut milk. Let’s have a look at some coconut milk recipes:
Drink With Crunch-ons: Instead of drinking plain coconut milk, why not opt for crunchy add-ons? Pick any dried fruits or watermelon seeds and granola. This way you can enjoy the creamy flavor and crunchy texture all at once.
Use in Chia Seeds Pudding: Some of us may not like to use dairy milk in chia pudding. And I have got you an idea for this: use coconut milk. For my vegan people, this coconut milk is the ultimate choice.
Mix in Smoothies: Mixing coconut milk in smoothies gives a hint of coconut flavor. The smoothie just tastes even better. I strongly recommend this if you’re someone who loves coconut flavor. Trust me, it will amaze you.
Cook in Chicken Curry: When the name curry comes out, there is no way we miss out on coconut milk. This milk makes the curry slightly creamy and sweet. And that is the kind of curry that goes well with tortilla or rice.
Steam in Coffee: Coconut milk is here to replace dairy milk. Steam the coffee using this creamy milk. The coffee smells really pleasant and tastes just get elevated.
Leaving coconut milk just like that on the table means calling bacteria to spoil it. One thing we can do in this case, is store the milk in the fridge.
Don’t keep the milk in a glass with the lid not on. This also leads to sooner spoilage of milk. So, whatever milk is there just pour it in an airtight jar. Tightly close the lid and then put the jar in the fridge.
And yeah pick the coolest spot in the fridge for the milk. This way the coconut milk lasts for up to 5-6 days. Hopefully, this also answered the question of how long does coconut milk last.
